1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to content delivery over a network.
2. Background Art
Applications such as instant messenger (IM) and email allow users to share messages with other users over one or more networks, such as the Internet. A message may contain an identifier, such as a uniform resource locator. The identifier may address content across the network, including HTML, pictures, and video. An application may display a link to the content within the message. When selected, the link automatically opens the content without regard for appropriateness.
Unfortunately, some content may be inappropriate. This can be especially troublesome when content is shared between users over a network. For example, two users may communicate using an IM or email application. One of the users (the sender) may send a message with a link pointing to content that is inappropriate to view at work. Unaware of the content, the other user (the receiver) may select the link, inadvertently directing the user to the inappropriate content. To deal with this, the sender may first annotate the link with a message such as “nsfw—not safe for work”. However, this approach requires that the sender follow an etiquette and be aware of the recipient's sensitivities.
In another example, a sender may send a message having a link pointing to content that is inappropriate for children. Parental control software may block access to content addressed by the link. For example, parental control software may specify a web site blacklist or whitelist. The blacklist establishes a list of identifiers to block, whereas the whitelist establishes a list of identifiers to allow. This approach is limited as the identifier may not be a good indicator of the underlying content.
Methods and systems are needed to improve existing screening techniques.